Collaborative partnerships are redefining water management and integrating diversity, resilience, and community voices into the global conversation.
When Emily Barbour started her career in the water industry, it wasn’t the engineering marvels or the politics of water allocation that drew her in—it was a simple curiosity about how things work.
“I’ve always been curious, wanting to understand and solve problems,” Barbour said.
Her curiosity drove her to pursue environmental engineering at the University of Newcastle, allowing her to combine her passion for maths and physics with hands-on problem-solving.
Throughout her career, Barbour has embraced the fascinating challenges of water management, from flood modelling to river basin stewardship, and multi-country water security initiatives. Now at eWater Group, she has taken on the key Technical Lead role in the Australian Water Partnership (AWP), an international development program supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). To Barbour, water is more than just a resource; it’s a vital lifeline that brings together communities, nurtures ecosystems, and fuels economies.
Crafting solutions through collaboration
Barbour’s work at eWater and AWP focuses on building meaningful partnerships throughout the Indo-Pacific region to enhance sound water management and boost climate resilience. She shared that her role involves juggling different priorities while working with limited budgets and tight timelines.
“We often feel like we’re threading a needle,” Barbour said. “There’s always a delicate process of aligning partner countries’ goals with Australian expertise while navigating evolving priorities.”
Barbour suggests that AWP’s approach emphasises teamwork and flexibility. These valuable partnerships play a key role in crafting enduring solutions, and Barbour points out how crucial it is to have talented individuals engaged in the conversation.
“We need to be flexible,” she said. “Government priorities can shift, and we have to ensure our partners can adjust while maintaining project integrity. Our role is to influence and broker relationships, but ultimately, it’s the partners on the ground who implement the projects.”
The program has brought Barbour to Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific, offering her chances to develop strategies for tackling regional water issues. She appreciates the blend of technical skills and relationship-building, abilities she honed during her work on her PhD.
“You can have the most accurate models, but if the problem is poorly conceptualised, the results are meaningless,” Barbour said.
Diversity as a strength
eWater and AWP’s commitment to diversity extends deeply into their work across Southeast Asia, where inclusivity is vital for effective water management. Emily Barbour believes that addressing the diverse needs of this region requires amplifying marginalised voices, from women and people with disabilities to rural communities.
“Southeast Asia is incredibly diverse,” Barbour said. “To address its challenges, you need to engage a variety of perspectives”.
Barbour highlighted impactful AWP projects, such as Vietnam’s legislative review, where people with disabilities were given the opportunity to comment on national water policy alongside technical experts. Similarly, in Cambodia, people with disabilities identified barriers and enablers for equitable access to piped water supply to align with an infrastructure development project.
“These voices are crucial,” Barbour said. “They provide context and nuance that technical assessments alone can’t capture. Often a solution that works better for marginalised people also works better for everyone else, so all users benefit when you look to break down barriers. Diversity broadens the conversation and allows us to innovate in ways we wouldn’t have thought possible,” she said.
However, challenges persist, including entrenched gender discrimination and institutional barriers that can limit participation. Barbour stressed the importance of building trust and fostering collaboration. “Addressing discrimination takes sustained effort, ongoing learning, humility, and the ability to navigate uncomfortable conversations in a way that remains respectful and meets people where they are at. It can also be incredibly rewarding.”
Bridging communities and governments
AWP’s impact is felt across multiple layers, from influencing national policies to supporting local communities. While the organisation focuses on government priorities, some projects closely examine community needs. “These efforts ensure that marginalised groups are considered in decision-making,” she said.
However, Barbour acknowledged the challenges of working in diverse political and social contexts.
“Our influence comes through partnerships and trust”, she said, “so we rely heavily on the relationships we build to enable change”.
A vision for the future
Barbour envisions a water industry that embraces people-centric approaches to technical challenges. She wants to continue creating spaces where diverse perspectives are valued and innovative solutions can emerge.
“You don’t realise the benefits of infrastructure projects unless you consider how people will use them from the outset,” she said.
Barbour believes Australia’s role in international water management should focus on collaboration rather than expertise alone. “We don’t have all the answers,” she said. “The countries we work with have deep knowledge and experience. It’s about learning from each other to address both shared and differential challenges.”
Barbour leads eWater’s efforts to foster resilience and inclusivity and remains committed to challenging the status quo. With leaders like Barbour, the water industry is poised for a future where diversity, collaboration, and sustainability define success.
For more information, visit ewater.org.au and waterpartnership.org.au
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